Eye-screw bending pliers



Jan. 14, 1958 J BOEHNKE 2,819,633

EYE-SCREW BENDING PLIERS Filed Aug. 8, 1955 INVENTOR John F. Boehnke ATTORNEY United States Patent EYE-SCREW BENDING PLIERS John F. Boehnke, Fort Worth, Tex.

Application August 8, 1955, Serial No. 527,065

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-15) My invention relates to improvements in pliers, and more particularly to pliers designed primarily for use in the television installation and repair trade to manipulate eye screw type television lead-in wire insulator holders.

Television lead-in wire, or cable, is commonly held and supported by stand-off insulators in the form of a split disc type rubber or plastic insulator having a peripheral groove which is held by the inner surface of the eye of an eye-screw. For installation, the lead-in cable must first be inserted into the split or slotted portion of the insulator and then the insulator should be rotated and clamped into the eye of the eye screw. Since television lead in cable must be periodically renewed, it becomes necessary to open the eyes of eye screws in existing installations, remove the old cable, insert new cable and reclamp the insulators. H-eretofore, the foregoing operations have been accomplished using conventional pliers and screwdriver, with very poor results. It is diflicult to hold the eye screw while prying with the screwdriver, and the eye is usually irreparably deformed. It is impossible to close the eye around the insulator with the proper contour. Further, present methods are time consuming, destructive, and frustrating.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a single tool of the pliers type for conveniently and effectively manipulating the eye of an eye-screw to perform the operations above-mentioned.

It is another object of my invention to provide a plierstype tool capable of opening and closing the eye of an eye-screw without deforming same.

It is another object of my invention to provide a plierstype tool capable of closing an eye-screw eye on a disc type insulator snugly, without deforming the insulator.

It is another object of my invention to provide a plierstype tool capable of manipulating the eye of a television stand-off insulator holder quickly and easily.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description taken in accordance with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the pliers of my invention in position to clamp the eye of a television eyescrew insulator holder for opening;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the pliers of my invention clamped on the eye of an eye-screw, ready for opening;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the pliers clamped on the eye-screw in the eye-screw open position;

Figure 4- is a fragmentary plan view showing the pliers clamped on the eye-screw in the closed position; and

Figure 5 is an end elevational view of an insulator.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to identical parts in the several views, Figure 1 shows a pair of pliers in accordance with my invention having first and second handle members 11, 13 of length sufiicient to provide convenient leverage. The handle members have generally rectangular cross-sections 2,819,633 Patented Jan. .14, 1958 so that the area of their edge faces is small compared to that of their front and rear faces. The handle members 11, 13 are connected in pivotal relation by means of a pivot bolt 15 and nut 17. The handle members are provided with respective cooperating jaws 19, 21. The inner contour of both jaws is substantially circular with the contour circle radius being equal to that of the circle formed by the outer periphery of the eye 23 of the eye-screw 25 which is to be manipulated by the pliers. The tip of the jaw 19 of the second handle member 13 has a wedge shaped projection 27 formed thereon. The inner face of the projection forms an oblique angle with respect to a tangent to the jaw contour at the projection root. The opposing jaws i9, 21 are provided with serrations.

The first handle member 11 is provided with a channel 29 on its inner face in the pivot area. The purpose of the channel is to limit the relative movement of the pliers jaws. The limiting action is provided by the lower shoulder 31 of the channel, which is contoured to provide just the desired range of jaw movement, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. In Figure l, the pliers are shown in the initial position for opening the eye 23 of an eye-screw 25. It will be noted that the length of the pliers jaws is such as to provide gripping action over just more than half of the eye outer circumference. It will also be noted that the second jaw protection wedge 27 is disposed so as to move in the direction approximately tangent to the inner side of that portion of the eye-screw connecting the eye to the shank 33.

Figure 2 shows the pliers in the second stage of the eye opening process. Here it will be noted that the inner edge 35 of the second handle member in the pivot area is bearing against the shoulder 31 of the first handle member, and that the opposing pliers jaws 19, 21 are in firm contact with the eye outer periphery. Also in Figure 2, the projection wedge 27 has pried the eye end 37 slightly open, and the projection wedge inner face is in firm contact with the eye end. Thus the pliers jaw movement is limited so as to provide the action just described and at the same time to prevent deformation of the eye or insulator that would otherwise result from exertion of excessive gripping pressure on the pliers handle members 11, 13. As hereinbefore mentioned, the insulator 39 is a split disc of hard rubber or similar non-conducting material having a peripheral groove 41 which is held by the inner surface of the eye-screw eye. The insulator is split from an outer edge radially to a point beyond the disc center.

Figure 3 shows the pliers in the final stage of the eye opening process. It will be seen that the pliers in Figure 3 have been rotated counter-clockwise with respect to the eye-screw shank 33, thus opening the eye sufficiently to allow free movement of the insulator 39 within the eye. Reviewing the opening process, assume that in Figures l and 2 there is lead-in cable in the insulator. in these figures, it is apparent that the cable is secure, since the insulator slot 43 is closed at its end by the inner face of the eye 23, and the insulator is clamped against movement. In Figure 2, the pliers jaws have been clamped to their limit on the eye outer periphery and the projection inner face engages the eye end 37. In Figure 3, the pliers have been rotated counter-clockwise with respect to the eye shank to open the eye sufiiciently to allow free insulator movement. The insulator 39 has been. rotated so that the slot end is open and the lead in cable has been removed.

Figure 4 shows the pliers in position just after the eye has been closed. For the closing process, the jaws 19, 21 are clamped on the eye outer periphery with the serrations of the first handle member 11 in full contact with the cooperating portion of the eye outer periphery but with only the projection wedge tip of the second handle member'13' in contact with the eye outer periphery a short distance from the eye end 37. In the closing action, the pliers"jaws are first clampedito the shoulder limit, closing theleye into, firm but non-deforming contact with the-insulator,,and: then the operation. is completed by rotating the pliers clockwise with respect to the eye shank.

For added convenience, the first pliers handle member terminates in a screw driver tool 45', the second handle member terminates in.a boxwrench 47, and outer edges of the. handle members adjacent thepivot point have cooperating cutting-edged grooves formed therein to make a wire cutting'tool 49.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the pliers of my invention provide, for convenient and efiective manipulation of the eye of an eye-screw for opening and closing the eye without deforming either the eye or the insulator which is carried by the eye. While I have shown my invention. in only one form, it will be obvious to those skilledin the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes, and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

A tool for manipulating the, eye of an eye-screw of the type adapted for carrying a television lead-in cable insulater, the eye of said eye-screw being substantially cir- 4 cular when closed, comprising: a pair of crossed pivotally connected'handles' terminating forwardly of the pivot in opposed serrated jaws each having the contour of an archate segment of radius substantially the same as the radius of the outer periphery of said eye when it is closed, a gen erally wedge-shaped projection extending inwardly at the end of one of said jaws beyond the serrations to engage the end portion of the eye; with the distance from the pivot point tocthe end-of said projection notexceeding the distance from the pivot point to the end of the last serration on the other jaw, and means-on the: handle side of said pivot for limiting the closing travel of. said jaws so that excessive handle pressure cannot adverseiy deform the eye or insulator...

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

